New Britain Police Officer Was Shot By Random Bullet

NEW BRITAIN — The bullet that struck a veteran New Britain police officer in the shoulder Friday night was fired randomly from a garage, police said Saturday.

Sgt. Dennis Killeen was treated at New Britain General Hospital for a bullet wound to his upper right shoulder and was released Saturday, according to a nursing supervisor at the hospital.

The 18-year veteran was the shift supervisor Friday night, Det. William Kilduff said.

Kilduff described the events leading to the shooting.

Police responded to a 10:10 p.m. report of shots being fired in the area of Stratford Road. They heard at least three shots fired from inside a detached garage at 147 Stratford Road.

As four police officers approached the garage, a door opened and two men came out. One was holding a .22-caliber rifle.

"They had been in the garage just shooting," Kilduff said. He said the men were not shooting at anything in particular.

Killeen was shot while he approached the garage from the rear, Kilduff said. He was the only one who approached from that direction.

"It's a miracle that none of the neighbors was shot," Kilduff said.

Police arrested James Pollack, 24, who lives at the house, and Adam Kochanski, 23, of 402 Allen St., and charged them with three counts of first-degree reckless endangerment, one count of unlawful discharge of a firearm, and one count of breach of peace.